PM Modi’s ‘Dimagi Naxal’ remark sparks political row, Congress hits back
Babushahi Bureau
New Delhi, August 16, 2026: Senior Congress leader P Chidambaram has hit back at Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his Independence Day remarks on “dimagi naxals”, saying he was “proud to be a dimagi naxal”.
Chidambaram made the remark on Sunday, a day after PM Modi, in his 80th Independence Day address from the Red Fort, warned that although armed Naxalism was “breathing its last”, an ideological or “dimagi” Naxal mindset continued to exist in parts of the country.
“I am proud to be a dimagi naxal!” Chidambaram wrote in a post on X.
What PM Modi said from the Red Fort
Addressing the nation on August 15, PM Modi said the government had largely succeeded in eliminating armed Naxalism since 2014. He recalled the deaths of more than 3,500 security personnel during operations against Maoist insurgents.
PM Modi said Naxalism had kept large parts of the country hostage for decades and had destroyed the dreams of thousands of young people and families.
However, he drew a distinction between armed Naxals and what he described as “dimagi naxals” — people influenced by Maoist thinking whom he alleged continued to operate in different parts of the country and institutions.
According to the Prime Minister, people with a “Maoist mentality” had earlier held positions in public life and government committees and influenced institutions and policy-making.
He urged people to “identify and isolate” such individuals and said the country’s youth must instead be brought together to build a developed India by 2047.
Congress calls ‘dimagi naxal’ remark hollow
The Prime Minister’s remarks immediately triggered a political backlash from Congress.
Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh described the term “dimagi naxal” as lacking substance and compared it with the earlier political use of the term “urban naxal”.
Ramesh pointed out that when the term “urban naxal” was raised in Parliament, Union Home Minister Amit Shah had clarified that there was no official legal definition of the term.
He alleged that the government first labels critics or political opponents as “urban naxals” or “dimagi naxals” and later adopts some of the issues and demands raised by them.
Ramesh cited the caste census as an example, claiming that the government had earlier dismissed demands for it but later announced a caste-based census.
Congress leader Manoj Pande also criticised PM Modi’s Independence Day speech, arguing that people expected the Prime Minister to present a report card on the government’s 12 years in office, particularly on farmers, employment, youth and inflation.
Pande accused the Prime Minister of once again invoking Naxalism instead of addressing these domestic concerns.
Chhattisgarh CM backs PM Modi
While Congress leaders attacked the Prime Minister’s remarks, Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Vishnu Deo Sai backed them.
Sai said PM Modi was right in stating that armed Naxalism had been eliminated while “dimaagi Naxals” remained.
Speaking in Raipur on Independence Day, Sai highlighted the government’s efforts in areas that were earlier affected by Maoist violence and said development was now reaching regions that had once remained inaccessible.
The Chief Minister’s comments came as a significant Independence Day development unfolded in Boter village in the Abujhmad region of Chhattisgarh’s Narayanpur district, once considered part of the Red Corridor.
For the first time, the Tricolour was hoisted in the village on Independence Day, at both a government primary school and an ITBP camp.
Local villagers said national festivals had not previously been celebrated there because of fear and restrictions imposed by Naxal groups.
According to police officials, the opening of a security camp and the decline of Naxal influence had brought a sense of greater freedom and development to the area.
Vande Mataram also becomes part of political exchange
PM Modi’s Independence Day address also featured Vande Mataram, as the country marks 150 years of the national song.
For the first time, Vande Mataram was rendered as part of the Independence Day ceremony at the Red Fort. PM Modi described the occasion as historic and connected the song’s legacy with India’s goal of becoming a developed nation by 2047.
Congress, however, also entered the debate over the song’s history.
Jairam Ramesh and Congress leader Pawan Khera highlighted the party’s historical association with Vande Mataram, referring to the 1937 Congress Working Committee discussions in Calcutta and the decision regarding the portions of the song to be sung at public gatherings.
The exchange over Vande Mataram, like the debate over “dimagi naxals”, has added another political dimension to this year’s Independence Day celebrations.
With Chidambaram now openly declaring himself “proud to be a dimagi naxal”, the phrase used by PM Modi from the Red Fort has emerged as a fresh flashpoint between the BJP and Congress, with the two sides sharply divided over whether it represents a warning against an ideological threat or a political label being used against critics.